Authored by Jamais Jochim in Fishing
Published on 03-02-2009

Thanks especially to the life of Ernest Hemingway, deep sea fishing has a certain lure to men; there is just something about pitting yourself against a huge animal that appeals to more primitive parts of the male psyche. Occasionally, it’s necessary to strip off the trappings of the modern world, to at least some degree, and embrace the wild side.

To make the most of your trip, keep some things in mind. Obviously, check around; you need to make sure that the boat you’re hiring has at least some success and that the crew knows what they are doing. You don’t need a world-class crew; you just need a crew that has some experience and has some idea of what they are doing. Also, you need to bear in mind that some boats don’t go where the fish are, and so don’t catch the fish you’re interested in catching. The ship should have some instrumentation, especially in terms of having a fish radar; it’s fine to go on faith, but you are spending too much to at least make sure that you will be in the right area.

Once you’ve hired the boat, keep in mind that you will be out in the sun for at least several hours, and plan accordingly. Some sort of sun tan lotion is advised, and make sure that the boat carries water; even if you are there for the alcohol, too much may dehydrate you. Also, make sure that your clothing is comfortable and, for those boats start out at an early hour, is layered so you can remove clothes as needed.

As for the fishing itself, keep in mind that deep sea fishing is far different than any other kind of fishing. The line isn’t just thicker or the pole longer; you will need the truss that is provided, and you should be wearing some sort of hand protection. When you catch a fish, it’s going to be a lot larger than a river fish, and so it’s going to take a lot more effort to pull in; be aware that you will need extra effort to pull it in, and that anything that can help you in that is a good thing. Do not try to land the fish; just get the fish close enough so that someone can net the fish. Doing so can lead to a number of potential back problems due to the size and power of the fish.

The last thing to keep in mind you are there to relax, and that everything else is secondary to that, even catching fish. If you catch a fish, that the icing on the cake, but not the icing itself. There are just those days when the fish are swimming too deep or in a different location that was expected; odds are good that you will see a fish, but it’s not guaranteed. Enjoy the sun and the sea, and your friends, and you’ll do far better than if you only go for the fishing!